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Grand Duchy of Kolangrad
The Grand Duchy of Kolangrad is situated along the eastern half of the Western Isles. The current head of state is Fyodor Yskorov. History of Kolangrad The Kolen The Kolanskiy people originally hail from the Frozen Steppe as the Kolen people. The name is believed to come from Early-Kolanskiy meaning "Furred," referring to the hide clothing used by the tribe. The people had lived in the northern Steppe until around 10 BKOR, when the Kolen had been forced to migrate. Marauding nomadic tribes, believed to be the Binlúk or the Mhirrë tribes, had begun raiding Kolen settlements. After several years of migration westward through the unforgiving landscape of the Frozen Steppe, the Kolen discovered the Hybretian ruins of Endiolaudum, where they made camp. The Order had seen smoke rising from the once-thought abandoned settlement, and went to investigate. When they discovered the Kolen, they had directed them to what is now known as Kholek's Point, named after the then Chieftain of the Kolen. It is there where they founded Kolangrad: City of the Kolen. Kolangrad and The Order Over the years, Kolangrad and the Hybretian Order had gained a mutual trust of each other. Kolangrad had naturally grown larger, as the Order had been confined to their island fort, and thus the two states drifted into a de facto Lord-vassal relationship. However, Kolangrad had failed to muster up much of a military, relying mostly on peasant levies and Hybretian Volunteers to keep order. Kolangrad would provide food for the Order, and in return the Order would defend Kolangrad and her coasts. This strong friendship would meet its end in 233 KOR, when Daelin I of the Order would switch sides to the Empire of Kordowyn in the Second Invasion of Kolangrad. Recently, however, the two states have come together again into the Alliance of the Fang. Over time, the island which the majority of Kolangrad comprises drifted into numerous, ethnically similar, Independent Duchies and Counties. The Beginning of the Halsza Dynasty of Kolangrad The Halsza Dynasty began in 112 KOR when Yullensjiy Halsza took power after the death of Duke Musdosev Seljensko. Yullensjiy, originally the Minister of Commerce was declared the heir of Musdosev after it was found that Seljensko was sterile. While not completing much during his reign, Yullensjiy is sometimes regarded as "The Father of Royalty." He declared his son, Gregor Halsza I as heir to the throne of Kolangrad, and lived for ten more years after, dying from a heart attack. Halsza Castle The ruins of a bath house and villa were discovered on one of the summits of the Berekmovai Mountain range in 123 KOR. Upon delivering his findings to Gregor I, the Duke decided to construct a castle on the spot. However, Gregor had underestimated the cost of a castle by an immense amount. He began failing to pay his workers during the construction. When the castle was completed, and Gregor had again failed to pay the vast sums of money promised to the people, on top of the missed salaries, a riot broke out. Gregor I was killed by the mob. However, his son Gregor II soothed the crowd, promising to establish a plan to pay back the families of the workers. Gregor II is known by the nobles of Kolangrad as "Gregor the Preserver" and "Savior of the Monarchy." Annexation of Palovenska Under Duke Gregor II, the Duchy of Kolangrad expanded northward. Gregor II declared war on the Duchy of Paczaska following a trade dispute, starting the Three Week War. After a surprising Kolanskiy victory, Gregor II annexed the territory, forming the Grand Duchy of Kolangrad, and granting the lands to his cousin Palov the Stout. Annexation of Ukorzen and Dalovsk Following the death of Grand Duke Gregor II, Grand Duke Gregor III set his sights on the Duchy of Horagrad, where Ukorzen now stands, hoping to claim as much glory as his father had in a similar war. Only two months after his coronation, Gregor III declared war on Horagrad, citing a "boundary dispute" as a casus belli. The victory was not easily won, as what followed was a war which lasted seven years, in the process killing Gregor III. Gregor IV would finish the war, only eighteen at the time. Gregor IV would rename the city Horagrad to Ukorzen, after the sprawling network of tunnels and mines the former Duchy had used to combat the Kolanskiy. Gregor IV was considered by history as a cruel monarch, ordering mines to be caved in while filled with political dissidents and rebels from Ukorzen. Later, he would marry the Duchess of Deleovstok on the mainland to gain access to those lands. She was found dead two years later from poison, with Gregor IV suspected as the culprit. However, he would die from a heart attack a month after the Duchess had passed. Kolanskiy Customs Kolangrad is a land of strange customs. Many of these customs hail from the Kolanskiy origins of the Kolen and their faith in spirits, but some also have been adopted by the Kolanskiy from other, neighboring nations. Religion The Kolanskiy religion is a mixture of the Hybretian Pantheon of major gods and the Kolanskiy spiritual faith, originating from the Kolen. The Kolanskiy pantheon uses various appropriated gods that are, in the faith, unable to be reached by the Kolanskiy people. These gods are often present at major moments of history, such as the founding of cities or decisive battles, serving one-sided roles in blessing or cursing the people. The rest of the natural world is controlled by various spirits, often found in places of motion or growth, such as the ocean, fields, or towns. List of Kolanskiy Festivals * Purkjo ul Gorjensz, Festival of Fire - A minor day of celebration, often confined to one's home, where minor sacrifices are placed into the hearth of the home. Often held the second saturday of September. * Purkjo ul Gradcza, The Founding Festival - A major celebration day with feasts and town-wide partying, the celebration of the Founding of Kolangrad. Held on the Eighteenth of June * Ijyenszie Purkjo, Wright's Festival - A small celebration within places of work, like a smith or a wright's workshop. Raw materials have powdered salts mixed with special herbs tossed over them. These salts are also used three days before the celebration to cure meats for the meal, giving them an earthy, aromatic flavor. * Konfoszacza Purkjo, the Lighting Festival - A semi-major festival held at irregular times of the year after the ancient Lighthouse in Kolangrad has gone out celebrating sailors. Small sacrifices are placed into the ocean to appease ocean spirits. * Okczyri Purkjo, the Harvest Festival - A major festival starting on the third sunday of October celebrating the year's harvests with town decorations, dances, and feasts. Citizens place pumpkin seeds on the lentils of their houses to feed house spirits during the week-long celebrations. * No'anarjiy Purkjo, the New Year's Festival - Held on the Spring Equinox, coinciding with the Hybretian Festivals of the new year. Oftentimes alcohols are served free on this day. * Okczyka Purkjo, the Planting Festival - Held exactly four weeks after the New Year's Festival, the week-long holiday is set aside for farmers to plant and till their fields for the year. Root-based meals are often served. Geography of Kolangrad Duchy of Kolanska The Capitol Duchy of Kolangrad, the Duchy of Kolanska features many landscapes, and is home to most of the Kingdom's farmland and a large amount of forested areas. The Duchy of Kolanska also contains the Berekmovai Mountain Range. Kolanska borders the Duchy of Ukorzen and the Duchy of Palovenska. Duchy of Ukorzen The Duchy of Ukorzen comprises of many of the mountain ranges of Kolangrad. Ukorzen features the Ukorzen Palace, as well as many gold and iron mines and related villages. Duchy of Dalovska County Dalovska is situated on the mainland, separated from the Kolanskiy Island by Kholek's Strait. Due to its bordering of the Frozen Steppe, County Dalovska is sometimes subject to raids to nomadic horsemen. Prior to being incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Kolangrad, County Dalovska used to be the Independent Duchy of Deleovstok. The duchy was annexed into Kolangrad under Grand Duke Gregor IV following a diplomatic marriage between the Duchess of Deleovstok and the Grand Duke. Duchy of Palovenska The Duchy of Palovenska is the northernmost county in Kolangrad, comprising most of the forests of the Grand Duchy. The Duchy of Palovenska is the poorest of Kolangrad's holdings due to poor management under the counts of Palovenska, and a more direct focus on Ukorzen and Kolanska by the Grand Duke. Ostindien *Will be written eventually, maybe* Category:Kolangrad Category:Factions